Monday, April 30, 2018

Dandelion,Taraxacum officianale
The young leaves of common dandelion were eaten raw or cooked in
recent times by the Halq'emeylem, Nlaka'paumux and some indigenous
people of Alaska. It was imported to North America on early
sailing ships. The young leaves make a good vegetable green. The
cooked roots can be eaten as a vegetable or dried and ground for
use as a coffee substitute. The flowers can be used to make
dandelion wine and the whole plant can be brewed to make beer.
(Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast) The name "dandelion" comes
from the French "dent de lion"-- lion's tooth, which refers to the
serrated leaves. (Just Fun Facts)

Sunflower
sea stars remain hard to find in B.C. waters four years after
massive die-off
Reports that sea stars may be recovering after a massive die-off
four years ago may be premature, experts say. “We want simple
solutions. People see a few of them, and they assume they’re
back,” said Port McNeill diver and scientist Jackie Hildering.
“But they’re not.” While the number of ochre stars is reportedly
on the rise, the iconic sunflower star remains elusive on the B.C.
coast. “There is very little evidence of recovery (among sunflower
stars),” confirmed Peter Raimondi, marine ecologist at the
University of California, Santa Cruz. Tracking the wasting disease
that killed millions of sea stars from Alaska to Baja California
in 2013 and 2014 is difficult because so little work has been done
on the species. It is unclear how many sea stars melted away
during the outbreak — and how many are left. Glenda Luymes
reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Governor-Led
Orca Recovery Effort to Hold First Meeting
An orca conservation team convened by Gov. Jay Inslee is holding
its first meeting on Tuesday. The Southern Resident Killer Whale
Recovery Task Force will focus on ways to help the Northwest's
iconic species. Southern Resident Orca numbers in the Salish Sea
have been in serious decline, reaching a high of 98 in 1995 and
numbering only 76 today. It is the only killer whale population
protected under the Endangered Species Act, but the state believes
more conservation efforts are needed. Stephanie Solien, who is
co-chairing the Task Force, says many of the remaining orcas are
in bad shape. She says the Task Force will focus on three of the
well-known threats to the whales. "There's a lack of adult chinook
salmon abundance," she says. "There's persistent toxic pollutants
that are both in our Puget Sound and in the waters all the way up
to Canada. And underwater noise and disturbance from both
commercial and recreational vessels." Eric Tegethoff reports.
(Public News Service)

Orca
found at Copper Bay was a northern resident: DFO
A newborn killer whale found dead on a Copper Bay beach in early
March was part of the threatened northern resident population. A
tissue analysis and final report may take another month to
complete, but a DNA study recently confirmed that the young killer
whale was a northern resident — a genetically unique population of
fewer than 200 animals. “She was separated from her mom just after
birth,” said Kelly Aitken, a local fisheries officer with
Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Nearly half of all killer whales die
between birth and six months of age. Andrew Hudson reports.
(Northern View)

4
B.C. shellfish farms closed after being linked to norovirus in
raw oysters
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control says four shellfish farms have
been closed after being linked to the outbreak of noroviruses
associated with raw B.C. oysters. As of April 26 the outbreak
includes 132 cases of illness in B.C., a decrease from last week,
according to a release. An investigation by the BCCDC found that
most people were infected after consuming oysters harvested in
south and central Baynes Sound. (CBC)

Coalition
calls for end to open-pen salmon farming in B.C. by 2025
Wild First describes itself as a coalition of business leaders,
independent scientists, First Nations leaders and others focused
on the preservation of wild Pacific salmon species. The group
released a video on Thursday which highlights the rare glass
sponge reefs discovered in B.C. waters, then claims to show the
seabed beneath a Cermaq salmon farm in coastal B.C., with lifeless
reefs covered in residue. The video was shot by the same
videographer, Tavish Campbell, who released an anti-salmon-farming
video last year that led to a provincial review of fish processing
plants. Wild First wants transition to land-based aquaculture.
Rafferty Baker reports. (CBC)

Forterra
founder Gene Duvernoy steps down as president
Gene Duvernoy has stepped down from the helm of Forterra, a
regional sustainability nonprofit corporation that is changing the
definition of what it means to be a land trust. Forterra long ago
outgrew its original name, Cascade Land Conservancy, both
literally and figuratively. Today, Forterra dedicates itself to
using real-estate deals to preserve and sustain communities, both
human and natural, all over Washington.... Grown to 50 employees,
Forterra has come a long way from the two-person office in the
attic of his house where Duvernoy, 66, first launched the land
trust nearly 30 years ago. He leaves Forterra having helped the
organization complete 450 transactions in 83 Washington
communities, conserving more than 275,000 acres of land. Lynda
Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

7
arrested as faith leaders protest Trans Mountain pipeline
expansion in Burnaby
Leaders from a broad spectrum of religious faiths stood with
Indigenous people at a Kinder Morgan work site in Burnaby, B.C.,
on Saturday to protest the expansion of the Trans Mountain
pipeline. Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Unitarians, two choirs,
members of 10 Christian denominations, and interfaith groups all
participated by singing and chanting but also fixing prayers,
rosaries and flags to the gates of Kinder Morgan's site at
Shellmont Street and Underhill Avenue.... Seven people were
arrested by Burnaby RCMP officers for breaching a court-ordered
injunction that prevents people from obstructing or impeding
access to Kinder Morgan facilities in Burnaby. Chad Pawson
reports. (CBC)

NDP
case against Trans Mountain pipeline may be hurt by previous
legal arguments
British Columbia's court case over the flow of heavy oil through
the province could be damaged by the NDP government's previous
positions against the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline,
says a legal expert. The provincial government filed a reference
case Thursday in the B.C. Court of Appeal asking whether
amendments it is proposing to the Environmental Management Act are
valid and if they give the province the authority to control the
shipment of heavy oils based on the impact spills could have on
the environment, human health or communities. The province is also
asking the court whether the amendments are over-ridden by federal
law. Nigel Bankes, chair of natural resources law at the
University of Calgary, said he believes the province will lose on
the validity question because it is targeting a federally approved
project, even though the legislation covers broad environmental
concerns. (CBC)

Northwest
Tribes Noticeably Absent in Columbia River Treaty Renegotiations
Federal officials were in Spokane Wednesday night to talk about
the future of the Columbia River Treaty, an agreement between the
U.S. and Canada that dates back to 1964. It governs hydropower and
flood control measures along the upper reaches of the 1,200 mile
Columbia River. A six-member panel will represent the U.S. in
negotiations to update the treaty-- four men and two women.
Noticeably absent were members of any of the numerous Native
American tribes along the Columbia, which have been pushing to
expand the treaty to include more emphasis on the environmental
protections.... The panel includes representatives from the U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation, the Army Corp of Engineers, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Bonneville Power
Administration. Emily Schwing reports. (KNKX)

Yacht
In Global Race Gathering Data on Ocean's Health
The world's oceans are getting more acidic and it's hurting the
whole aquatic food chain. Scientists are racing to learn more
about ocean acidification and now they're getting help from an
actual race boat. The Clipper "Round the World" yacht race has
joined forces with researchers in Washington. On the next leg from
Seattle to New York City, the yacht "Visit Seattle" will
have a pH sensor attached to it. It will take readings throughout
the journey. Ocean acidification is a change in ocean chemistry
resulting from the absorption of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,
threatening aquatic ecosystems in particular because it makes it
difficult for shellfish to grow shells. Tiny organisms called
pteropods are hit quite hard. They are at the base of the food
chain and important food for herring and salmon. Alison Morrow
reports. (KING)

An
orca out of water
It’s hard to miss the 30-foot orca that has landed on the east
side of North Beach Road. The killer whale, which weighs somewhere
between 2,000–3,000 pounds now resides outside of the recently
relocated Orcas Wild and Outer Island Excursions office at 414
North Beach Road. “The whale was originally made with a government
grant to build a life-like killer whale decoy to scare sea lions
away from key salmon habitat,” said Outer Island owner Beau
Brandow. “This idea was a failure, but we were left with a very
anatomically correct model and the opportunity to spread education
and awareness about killer whales in a way that people can connect
with.” According to Brandow, the whale cost approximately $100,000
to construct and spent several years in Bellingham’s Squalicum
Harbor until its owner passed away. He said he acquired the
mannequin mammal by promising to give it “an appropriate home with
positive intentions.” Brandow is asking for the public’s help in
naming the latest resident of downtown Eastsound. Mandi Johnson
reports. (Islands Sounder)

"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community
service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to
msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared
and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Sunlight reduces effectiveness of dispersants used to clean up oil spills
A new study shows that sunlight transforms oil spills on the ocean
surface more quickly and significantly than previously thought, limiting
the effectiveness of chemical dispersants that break up floating oil. A
research team funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and led
by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) found that sunlight
chemically alters crude oil floating on the sea surface within days or
hours. The team reported that sunlight changes oil into different
compounds that dispersants cannot easily break up. The findings,
published today in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, could affect how responders decide when, where and how to use dispersants. (NSF News Release)

EPA chief gets congressional scolding over ethical lapses
Lawmakers are harshly criticizing Environmental Protection Agency chief
Scott Pruitt for the ethics and spending scandals that have prompted
bipartisan calls for his ouster. On the defensive, the EPA chief blamed
“half truths” and “twisted” allegations, an effort to undermine the
Trump administration’s anti-regulatory agenda. The public grilling at a
House hearing Thursday came as support has eroded for Pruitt among
fellow Republicans after a nearly month of negative headlines about
outsized security spending, first-class flights and a sweetheart condo
lease. Even Republicans who support Pruitt’s policy agenda said his
apparent lapses could not be ignored. Michael Biesecker and Ellen
Knickmeyer reports. (Associated Press)

60 Minutes reports on seaweed farming and its surprising possibilities
It's nutritious. It keeps the ocean healthy. It's good for the
environment. There's very little not to like about seaweed, a commodity
that offers healthy solutions to some of the Earth's most vexing
problems. Lesley Stahl reports on a new type of farming, "ocean
farming," including an interview with a fisherman-turned-seaweed-farmer,
on the next edition of 60 Minutes, Sunday, April 29 at 7:00
p.m., ET/PT on CBS. Seaweeds, sometimes called "sea greens," have some
advantages over their land-based cousins. They don't use fertilizer or
pesticides that are costly and can harm the environment. They don't
require fresh water, and they grow very fast. Plus, they are rich in
calcium, iron, antioxidants, and are a good source of fiber. (CBS)

A Closer Look at Shorelines
For some people, shorelines are places to sit and admire a sunset. For
others, they are fascinating ecological or geological zones. For Cleo
Woelfle-Erskine and July Hazard, shorelines are all of this and more....
Hazard and Woelfle-Erskine, assistant professor of equity and
environmental justice in the School of Marine & Environmental
Affairs (SMEA), have turned their fascination with shorelines into a UW
course, Ecopoetics Along Shorelines. Offered this spring by SMEA, CHID,
and the Honors Program, the course has attracted a diverse group of
students, from freshmen to PhD students in fields ranging from creative
writing to physics to environmental affairs. The course began over
spring break with a field intensive on Washington’s San Juan Island, and
continues spring quarter with a weekly seminar on the Seattle campus.
During the field intensive, Hazard and Woelfle-Erskine helped students
gain an understanding of historical and ecological dynamics of the
landscape through careful observation. “We wanted to train them in the
practices of seeing and observing, to read the landscape in a way that
students might be more familiar with reading a text,” says
Woelfle-Erskine. Nancy Joseph reports.

An ancient fish hook could solve a big, modern problem
As the sun rose above Neah Bay one foggy morning three years ago, a
group of anglers headed out to the Pacific Ocean to fish for halibut —
something their Makah ancestors were doing thousands of years ago....
The fishing trip wasn't for fun or food. It was for science. The anglers
were volunteers in an experiment. They were testing whether an ancient
Makah technology could solve a troubling modern-day problem: how to
harvest food from the ocean without harming endangered species. John
Ryan reports. (KUOW)

All you need to know about shrimp
ALL SEVEN SHRIMP species commonly harvested by sport shrimpers typically
undergo a sex change in their life cycles at the bottom of the Puget
Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca. Shrimp in the family Pandalidae have a
unique reproductive cycle, maturing first as males, then changing sex
in later years to reproduce as females.File this under things you learn
when you speak to a shellfish biologist. More on this trivial, but
crucial tidbit later. Recreational shrimping will open Saturday, May 5
in Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca under seasons announced
this week by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Michael Carman
reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

The military paid for a study on sea level rise. The results were scary.
More than a thousand low-lying tropical islands risk becoming
“uninhabitable” by the middle of the century — or possibly sooner —
because of rising sea levels, upending the populations of some island
nations and endangering key U.S. military assets, according to new
research published Wednesday. The threats to the islands are twofold. In
the long term, the rising seas threaten to inundate the islands
entirely. More immediately, as seas rise, the islands will more
frequently deal with large waves that crash farther onto the shore,
contaminating their drinkable water supplies with ocean saltwater,
according to the research. Chris Mooney and Brady Dennis report.
(Washington Post)

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service
by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@)
salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you
can unsubscribe at any time.

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Willow (American) goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)
Washington designated the willow goldfinch as the official state bird in
1951. Also called American goldfinch or wild canary, the male willow
goldfinch has a bright yellow body with black wings and tail, and black
on top of his head. The female's plumage is more muted with an
olive-yellow body and dark brown tail and wings (the male goldfinch also
displays this same dull plumage in the winter months). Active and
acrobatic little birds, goldfinches fly with a bouncy, undulating
pattern The diet of the goldfinch consists mainly of seeds. (State
Symbols USA)

BirdNote - Streamed Live!
On Thursday, April 26, 7:30-9:00 pm PDT, BirdNote will be live-streamed as a webcast by presenting partner Town Hall Seattle. Tune in
for a fun evening of conversation about birds, celebrating the ways
they connect us to nature and to each other — with special guests Dr. J.
Drew Lanham and Barbara Earl Thomas-- and hosted by narrators Mary
McCann and Michael Stein.

Bill Protecting Lower Snake River Dams Passes US House
The U.S. House approved a bill Wednesday that would circumvent a federal
judge’s order for dams on the lower Snake River to spill more water and
protect current dam operations through the next four years. The
additional spilled water is meant to help migrating salmon, meaning it
would not be available for generating electricity. H.R. 3144 aims to
keep dams in place and prevent any changes in operation until 2022. It’s
sponsored by Washington Republican Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dan
Newhouse. Tony Schick reports. (OPB/EarthFix)

Canada to Seattle Environmentalists: We Stand Behind the Kinder Morgan Pipeline
Last Friday, Canadian diplomats met with a coalition of Seattle
environmentalists to discuss their concerns about a tar sands pipeline
expansion that has roiled politics north of the border, and will
increase tanker traffic in the shared Salish Sea.... he project backers
estimate that the project would add 348 tankers in the Salish Sea
annually, and the Sightline Institute, a local environmental thinktank,
believes that this would increase the risk of spills in local waters
dramatically. Canadian consuls told to local activists on Friday that
they dispute the idea the project will increase the risk of damage to
local waters. When Kinder Morgan announced one week ago that it would
stop nonessential pipeline spending in the face of opposition from the
local British Columbian government (and unmentioned First Nations
activism), the federal Canadian government announced it would be looking
at funding the pipeline itself. Sydney Brownstone reports. (The
Stranger)

Grizzly bears could make a return to WA — for real this time
He said it. He really did. To everyone's surprise, on March 23, at the
North Cascades National Park headquarters in Sedro-Woolley, Interior
Secretary Ryan Zinke — the same Ryan Zinke who had recommended shrinking
Bears Ears National Monument in Utah and who had announced last June
that Yellowstone's grizzlies would be dropped from the endangered
species list — declared that he was all for restoring grizzly bears to
the North Cascades. Daniel Jack Chasan reports. (Crosscut)

Scientists: Record abundance of underwater grasses shows Chesapeake Bay initiatives are working
Underwater grasses that provide vital places for fish and crabs to live
and hide from predators covered more than 100,000 acres of the
Chesapeake Bay in 2017 — the most ever recorded in a 34-year-old aerial
survey, scientists said Tuesday. The Virginia Institute of Marine
Science found 104,843 acres of grasses across the estuary, the first
time since it began its survey in 1984 that vegetative coverage
surpassed the 100,000-acre threshold. It was a third straight year that
grass acreage grew, gaining by 5 percent from 2016 to 2017. Scott Dance
reports. (Baltimore Sun)

Powerful Stories About Ocean Sustainability
When a northern Puget Sound fish farm sustained damage last August, more
than 250,000 farmed Atlantic salmon spilled into the Salish Sea. Lummi
fishermen rushed to the area with nets, desperate to capture the farmed
salmon before they mixed with the area’s wild salmon, their most
precious resource. The Lummi fishermen’s story is one of many featured
on Ocean Link Northwest, a website that sheds light on humans’ dependence on the ocean. The site was developed by students in the Communication Leadership program
(Comm Lead), a professional master’s program in the Department of
Communication, in collaboration with the Nippon Foundation Nereus
Program, an innovative, interdisciplinary ocean research group. Nancy
Joseph reports. (Perspectives Newsletter/UW)

500K Chinook smolt released into Salish Sea to help feed killer whales
Half a million healthy juvenile Chinook salmon were released into the
Salish Sea as part of the South Vancouver Island Anglers Coalition
(SVIAC) and the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA)'s "Feeding Our
Endangered Orcas Initiative." The fish were delivered to Sooke, B.C.
This multi-year program is intended to significantly increase large
adult Chinook salmon in the Juan de Fuca Strait during the key
pre-winter feeding time of local killer whales. The Southern Resident
Killer Whales - J, K and L pods are endangered. Lack of food is one of
the issues believed responsible for their declining numbers. Pollutants
and noise from vessels are other top reasons for their decline according
to NOAA. Last year 225,000 healthy Chinook salmon smolts were
successfully released from their temporary holding enclosure in the
Sooke Basin and are expected to return as large adults in 2020. (San
Juan Islander)

Orca Talk: "Current Research to Support Recovery Actions for Southern Resident Killer Whales"
With just 76 orcas in J, K and L pods, the Southern Resident Killer
Whale population is nearing its all time low of 71 individuals. Is the
population still viable - can they be saved? What have we learned over
the past year that will help these orcas recover, and what are the most
pressing questions still to be addressed? NOAA's Brad Hansen talks about
current research to support recovery actions for Southern Resident
killer whales. May 1, 7 PM, C&P Coffee Company, 5612 California Ave
SW, Brown Paper Tickets. Presented by The Whale Trail.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service
by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@)
salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you
can unsubscribe at any time.

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Rainbow trout are the most common and hence most popular species of
trout in Washington. There are thousands of wild populations
statewide but the main reason for their popularity is that the
Washington Department of fish and Wildlife stocks millions of
rainbow trout in hundreds of waters annually across the state for
the specific purpose of providing recreational angling opportunity.
Rainbow trout are an excellent game fish reputed for their
willingness to bite bait and lures, scrappy nature when on the end
of a fishing line and the fact that they are excellent table fare.
Rainbow trout can be identified by their bluish-green back, silver
sides and belly, and black spots on the body and on the caudal,
dorsal, and adipose fins. Another characteristic of rainbow trout,
and a characteristic that it gets its name from is the presence of a
reddish stripe along its sides that is often, but not always
present. (WDFW)

E.P.A.
Announces a New Rule. One Likely Effect: Less Science in
Policymaking.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced a new regulation
Tuesday that would restrict the kinds of scientific studies the
agency can use when it develops policies, a move critics say will
permanently weaken the agency’s ability to protect public health.
Under the measure, the E.P.A. will require that the underlying
data for all scientific studies used by the agency to formulate
air and water regulations be publicly available. That would
sharply limit the number of studies available for consideration
because much research relies on confidential health data from
study subjects. Scott Pruitt, the E.P.A. administrator, announced
the proposed regulation this afternoon at agency headquarters,
flanked by Republican lawmakers who sponsored legislation designed
to achieve the same ends as the new regulation. Lisa Friedman
reports. (NY Times)

U
of A stands by Suzuki honorary degree as donors withdraw,
Albertans protest
Backlash toward the University of Alberta is escalating, with
donors pulling funding and rallies being planned, but the school's
president says he won't compromise academic independence by
reversing a decision to award David Suzuki an honorary degree.
Although some of the school's own faculty staff have spoken out
against the decision, U of A president David Turpin confirmed
Tuesday the university will go forward in awarding the
controversial environmentalist an honorary doctor of science
degree this spring. "Universities must not be afraid of
controversy. Instead, we must be its champion," Turpin said in a
statement posted on the university's website. Andrea Ross reports.
(CBC)

Penn
Cove Shellfish first to go through new shoreline plan
A proposal by Penn Cove Shellfish, LLC to add nine raft clusters
to 15 existing raft clusters at its mussel farm in Quilcene Bay is
the first floating aquaculture project to be reviewed under the
new Shoreline Master Program. Anna Bausher, project planner for
Jefferson County Department of Community Development, explained
that under the previous Shoreline Master Program, the proposal
would have been allowed outright without review by the county.
Under the current shoreline rules, the project requires a
Shoreline Substantial Development Permit application and is
subject to State Environmental Policy Act review. The proposal
also is subject to approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
and the state Department of Natural Resources. A comment period
for the project ends May 11. Allison Arthur reports. (Pt Townsend
Leader)

Half
of Washington State Ferries vessels slated for retirement by
2042
As many retirees are wont to do, the ferry Evergreen State – 65
years old and now renamed “The Dream” – will soon head to Florida
for its later years. In Pensacola, it’ll take up retired life as
an event center with space for fine dining. The 51-year-old “baby
ferry" Hiyu is living out its retirement years as a floating event
venue on Lake Union and Lake Washington. Thirteen more vessels
will likely join those two most recent retired vessels from
Washington State Ferries service over the next two-and-a-half
decades. Currently, WSF plans to get about 60 years of service out
of its vessels. Those 13 vessels, out of the fleet's total of 23,
will hit that age between now and 2042. Nathan Pilling reports.
(Kitsap Sun)

Retired
zoology prof restores a wetland wonder
When Dr. Sievert Rohwer moved to Whidbey Island in the early
1980s, he remembered seeing large migrations of salamanders trying
to cross Cultus Bay Road. Most didn’t make it.... Rohwer, a
retired University of Washington zoology professor, takes an
active interest in such matters. As an owner of a forest and
wetland near Cultus Bay, he realized he could restore wildlife
diversity to the natural world around him. That started Rohwer on
a mission to improve wildlife habitat on his property in hopes all
creatures would benefit, particularly amphibians and waterfowl. He
recently led a small group of Whidbey Camano Land Trust members on
a tour of his land, showing the progress he and his family have
made on their 34 acres. (South Whidbey Record)

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Purple Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum)
Purple Dead-nettle and Common or Henbit Dead-nettle (Lamium amplexicaule)
have similar ranges and habitat preferences; both are weedy
introductions from Eurasia. These nettle-like plants are 'dead' in the
sense that they don't sting when touched. The name 'henbit' comes from
the fact that hens like to nibble at its leaves. Lamium is from the
Greek laimos ('throat'), because of the constricted throat of petal
tube. (Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast)

America Before Earth Day: Smog and Disasters Spurred the Laws Trump Wants to Undo
A huge oil spill. A river catching fire. Lakes so polluted they were too
dangerous for fishing or swimming. Air so thick with smog it was
impossible to see the horizon. That was the environmental state of the
nation 50 years ago. But pollution and disasters prompted action. On
April 22, 1970, millions of people throughout the country demonstrated
on the inaugural Earth Day, calling for air, water and land in the
country to be cleaned up and protected. And that year, in a bipartisan
effort, the Environmental Protection Agency was created and key
legislation — the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered
Species Act — came into force. Now, the Trump administration has made
eliminating federal regulations a priority, and an increasing number of
environmental rules are under threat. Livia Albeck-Ripka and Kendra
Pierre-Louis report. (NY Times)

New Kids Book Aims To Encourage Next Generation To Protect The Salish Sea
A new book is out that will likely be of interest to anyone who has just
moved to the region and maybe even to some old-timers. Explore The Salish Sea
is a nature guide for kids. It’s about the unique marine ecosystem that
connects Puget Sound with Canada. It’s aimed at fifth and sixth graders
and based on a previous edition made for adults. Both books use lots of
colorful photos and facts to showcase the abundant life that depends on
the Salish Sea. Joe Gaydos from Orcas Island is co-author of the books
and Chief Scientist at the nonprofit SeaDoc Society. Their first book
came out of a paper he wrote with a colleague that attempted to catalog
the hundreds of species in the Salish Sea. Bellamy Pailthorp reports.
(KNKX)

Taking out the trash checked off Earth Day list of chores for divers in Commencement Bay
If there was a message in all the glass bottles divers brought up from
the waters off Tacoma’s waterfront Saturday it might be this: Stop using
Puget Sound as a garbage dump. The volunteer scuba divers divers
brought up 47 pounds of garbage from the waters of Commencement Bay just
off of Ruston Way. Most of that consisted of bottles. They also
retrieved discarded fishing lines and hooks from the area near Les Davis
Pier. Craig Sailor reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Vote Expected Soon On Bill To Protect Snake River Dams
Some Eastern Washington lawmakers want the Snake River Dams to stay in
place. They’ve crafted a bill to leave the dams as they are — in
response to a federal judge’s order to consider removing the dams to
protect salmon. The bill, H.R. 3144, is expected to be voted on by the
U.S. House this week. “Our legislation will keep in place the current
collaborative framework that fosters fish recovery efforts while
balancing the many economic contributions of our dams,” said Reps. Cathy
McMorris Rodgers and Dan Newhouse in a joint statement. Courtney Flatt
reports. (OPB/EarthFix)

Ongoing work to 'rewild' Vancouver parks bring people close to nature
Driving through Stanley Park one morning, Vancouver park board biologist
Nick Page came across a bizarre scene. Cars were abandoned haphazardly
along the roadside as a crowd of people ran toward the seawall.... n
fact, a grey whale had been spotted in the water near Siwash Rock. The
incident confirmed an idea the park board had been working on, said
Page. Parks shouldn’t only be about sports fields and recreation
facilities, they should also be a place where people can experience
nature.... In 2014, the park board began work to “rewild” parks and
green spaces, identifying 28 biodiversity spots that should be
protected, and educating people about their importance. The main goal of
the plan was to encourage ecological literacy, said Page. Glenda Luymes
reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Oregon Coast Pyrosomes Continue To Multiply
They’re back. A lot of them. And they’re reproducing. The invasion of
the pyrosomes, gelatinous, translucent tube-like creatures ranging in
size from less than an inch to a foot or more, continues in force off
the coast of Oregon for a second year, baffling scientists. The
creatures, made up of individual zooids — small, multicellular organisms
— normally reside in warmer waters, like the tropics, and usually don’t
travel farther north than the waters off southern California. But last
spring, scientists pulled pyrosomes out of the Pacific Ocean off the
coasts of Oregon and Washington by the tens of thousands. The pyrosomes
also wreaked havoc with the nets of commercial anglers, and they washed
ashore by the millions, littering beaches. Steve Benham reports.
(Associated Press)

Oil at $75 as Iran sanction fears mount
Oil prices hit $75 on Tuesday, the highest level in nearly three and a
half years, as fears mounted over the prospect of new US sanctions on
Iran. Brent crude jumped for the sixth consecutive day, trading as high
as $75.27 before falling back slightly. The US will decide by 12 May
whether to abandon a nuclear deal with Iran and re-impose sanctions.
Such a move on the third-biggest oil producer in the Opec cartel
threatens to further tighten global supplies. Oil prices have been
rising since the 14 nations in Opec, as well as other producers
including Russia, decided to restrict output last year. (BBC)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service
by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@)
salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you
can unsubscribe at any time.

Monday, April 23, 2018

Salish Sea in
Focus
The SeaDoc Society has launched its first Salish Sea in Focus
photography contest to showcase the Salish Sea marine ecosystem
and will be accepting photo submissions from now until June 4th.
The competition offers more than $6,000 in cash prizes including a
$1,000 overall grand prize. The top 100 photos will be featured on
an IMAX screen at a gala at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle
on October 4. The contest is open to photographers of all skill
levels. The contest will be judged by three of the region’s most
celebrated photographers, Amy Gulick, Cristina Mittermeier and
Kevin Shafer. For details, Salish Sea In
Focus Photo Contest.

People
and pets advised to stay out of Dogfish Creek in Poulsbo after
sewage spill
People and their pets are being asked to stay out of the water of
Dogfish Creek in Poulsbo through Monday after about 2,000 gallons
of raw sewage spilled out of a manhole. The no-contact advisory
for the creek, which runs through Poulsbo’s Fish Park, was issued
Friday by the Kitsap Public Health District. The advisory lasts
for three days and extends for the area between Highway 305 and
Liberty Bay. The advisory recommends against swimming, wading or
any activity that could result in water entering the mouth, nose
or eyes. If the water contacts skin, the district recommends
immediately washing with soap and water. Andrew Binion reports.
(Kitsap Sun)

Years
after oil spills, money still owed to Vancouver, aquarium and
Heiltsuk Nation
Despite "polluter pay" laws in Canada, local governments and
agencies are still waiting to recover costs incurred during two
significant fuel spills off B.C.'s coast. The City of Vancouver
and Vancouver Aquarium are collectively waiting on nearly $700,000
in losses related to a 2015 leak of bunker fuel, while the
Heiltsuk Nation in Bella Bellla, B.C., continues negotiating over
$200,000 in repayments for its response to a tugboat that ran
aground in 2016. (Canadian Press)

County
planners seek denial of Woodway-area luxury condos
Building height and traffic are among the reasons Snohomish County
planners have asked that a project with 3,081-unit waterfront
condos at Point Wells be denied. If the hearing examiner agrees
during a scheduled May 16 meeting, that would end seven years of
work by developer BSRE Point Wells and the county. Much of that
time has been spent in a back-and-forth of reviews and
recommendations. The proposal’s progress stalled in February, when
the county signaled its intent to ask the examiner to deny the
proposal. This week’s recommendation follows through. Ben Watanabe
reports. (Everett Herald)

Pipeline
Spills 76,000 Gallons of Crude Oil Emulsion in Northern Alberta
A pipeline owned by Paramount Resources Ltd. released an estimated
100,000 liters (approximately 26,000 gallons) of crude oil and
190,000 liters (approximately 50,000 gallons) of produced water
near Zama City, in northwest Alberta, according to an April 11
incident report filed with the Alberta Energy Regulator. The
release was discovered after company personnel looked into a
low-pressure alarm from the company's leak detection system, the
incident report states. The emergency status of the spill ended
April 16. The report says that although "the release was initially
believed to be minor," further investigation shows the spill to be
around 290,000 liters and has impacted an area of 200 meters
(approximately 656 feet) by 200 meters. Carol Linnitt reports.
(EcoWatch)

400
B.C. businesses sign letter opposing Trans Mountain expansion
While many in the B.C. business community have thrown their
support behind Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline expansion,
others in the technology, green tech and tourism industries are
less enthusiastic. Representatives from 400 businesses signed an
open letter to Premier John Horgan this week asking him to
continue his opposition to the project. Signees say the pipeline,
if built, will prove disastrous for businesses in B.C. that rely
on a clean, protected environment. (CBC)

Scott
Pruitt Before the E.P.A.: Fancy Homes, a Shell Company and
Friends With Money
.... At the E.P.A., Mr. Pruitt is under investigation for
allegations of unchecked spending, ethics lapses and other issues,
including his interactions with lobbyists. An examination of Mr.
Pruitt’s political career in Oklahoma reveals that many of the
pitfalls he has encountered in Washington have echoes in his past.
Steve Eder and Hiroko Tabuchi report. (NY Times)

Researchers
ID Whales By Genetic Bread Crumbs Left Behind
Researchers at Oregon State University have worked out a way to
detect and identify whales long after they move on – just by
sampling the water. When whales swim they leave behind a plume of
genetic material in the environment: skin, poop and bodily fluids.
If you know what to look for, you can use that DNA to figure out
what kind of whale went by. Scott Baker is associate director of
the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University’s Hatfield
Marine Science Center. His research team tested this idea on orcas
in the Salish Sea, collecting and testing water samples in their
wake.... The research was published Friday in the journal Frontiers.
Jes Burns reports. (OPB/EarthFix)

Vancouverites
are good at recycling — just not when it comes to plastic bags
Over 2 million plastic bags are thrown in the garbage every week
in Vancouver. Vancouver has one of the lowest rates of
contaminated recycling in the country — but residents are still
struggling to figure out where to put their plastic bags,
according to the managing director of Recycling B.C. Vancouver
boasts a contamination rate of just 4.6 per cent, a small figure
when compared to cities like Toronto, at 26 per cent, and
Edmonton, at 24 per cent, according to data obtained by CBC News.
But the low number still falls short of provincial targets. Jon
Hernandez reports. (CBC)

TONIGHT
E wind to 10 kt rising to 10 to 20 kt after midnight.
Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 1 to 3 ft after midnight. W
swell 5 ft at 12 seconds building to 7 ft at 17 seconds after
midnight.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service
by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@)
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can unsubscribe at any time.

Friday, April 20, 2018

Pinto abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana)
Pinto abalone were once widely distributed throughout the waters of
British Columbia and Washington state. In recent decades, populations
have undergone sharp declines, likely in response to the combined
stressors of overharvest, poaching, and sub-optimal environmental
conditions (Campell 2000). Known for their large, muscular foot and
their pearlescent oval shell, pinto abalone are slow-growing, long-lived
marine snails and are typically found in nearshore rocky habitats in
semi-exposed or exposed coastal regions. More than 60 abalone species
are found worldwide but the pinto, or northern, abalone is the only
species found in Washington State, where they range from Admiralty Inlet
to the San Juan Islands and the Strait of Juan de Fuca and are
typically found at depths to about 20 m (Bouma 2007). (Encyclopedia of
Puget Sound)

A Madrone Story
Rick Haley of Skagit County writes: "Once again I am compelled to
comment on your excellent news service. I am tickled to see in print
the Oregon + California v. Washington v. BC split on
Madrone/Madrona/Arubutus. I have explained it exactly that way for
years but I have no idea where I came up with it other than personal
experience. When I was in eighth grade clear back when, we had a small
group assignment in Social Studies to “Create a Utopia”. How’s that for
a 1970 assignment? Our group decided on a Back to Nature utopia which
gave us an excuse to go camping. This is sort of pertinent because I
spent a goodly portion of our time out in the woods carving fish hooks
out of madrone wood, then angling in a (probably) fishless creek
draining Spencer Butte south of Eugene, using snowberries for bait. I
was already a crazy-obsessed fly fisherman by then so I had no illusions
about what I was doing, but it made for some good pictures for our
report. We also ate dandelions. I don’t recommend them."

Atlantic salmon, caught in Skagit 8 months after escape from pen, had eaten a fish
Upper Skagit tribal fishermen caught a lively Atlantic salmon more than
40 miles up the Skagit River Tuesday, eight months after Cooke
Aquaculture’s Atlantic salmon net pen collapsed at Cypress Island and
sent more than 300,000 Atlantics into the home waters of Washington’s
Pacific salmon. The Atlantic caught Tuesday had bones in its stomach,
indicating it had eaten some kind of fish. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle
Times)

Bottlenose dolphins found off B.C. coast for first time, travelling with false killer whales
Common bottlenose dolphins, typically associated with tropical and
warm-temperate waters, have been observed for the first time off
Canada’s Pacific coast. About 200 of the dolphins were observed
travelling with around 70 false killer whales on July 29 last year
during a pelagic seabird and marine mammal survey from the Canadian
Coast Guard research ship John P. Tully. The discovery, published Thursday in the journal Marine Biodiversity Records,
occurred in waters that were 16.5 degrees Celsius, believed to be
related to a period of warming in the eastern North Pacific. Biologist
Luke Halpin, lead author of the paper, said it was “special and rare” to
observe the two cetacean species travelling together in B.C. waters. A
handful of northern right whale dolphins also swam close by. Larry Pynn
reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Samish Bay again fails evaluation, won't get upgrade
Samish Bay has again failed the state evaluation for a shellfish harvest
upgrade because of bacterial pollution in the Samish River. Pollution
in the river exceeded state standards Tuesday following rain that
brought a record-setting river flow that day, Skagit County Water
Quality Analyst Rick Haley said. The incident is the second time since
the evaluation began in March that shellfish harvest in the bay has been
closed due to pollution. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley
Herald) See also: State may place shellfish harvest restrictions on Chico Bay
The state Department of Health plans to restrict shellfish harvests in a
portion of Dyes Inlet this summer due to high bacteria levels recorded
near the mouth of Chico Creek. Jean Frost with the department's
shellfish program said a port reopened harvests in a large portion of
Dyes Inlet in 2003. Tad Sooter reports. (Kitsap Sun) And also: Pollution forcing shellfish restrictions in Henderson Inlet and 3 regional sites
Poor water quality in portions of four counties in Washington Shellfish
harvesting will be restricted in Thurston County's Henderson Inlet,
portions of Grays Harbor County near the Elk River, at Chico Bay in
Kitsap County's Dyes Inlet, in Pierce County's Burley Lagoon. Lauren
Smith reports. (Olympian)

First Nations court challenges continue to hang over $7.4-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion
First Nations court challenges that allege inadequate consultation and
seek to overturn federal and B.C. approval of the $7.4-billion Trans
Mountain oil pipeline expansion have been overshadowed by recent debate
on federal and provincial powers to regulate oil transport. But legal
experts say the First Nations cases have real implications that should
not be overlooked or forgotten. When the Federal Court of Appeal in 2016
overturned approval of Enbridge’s $7.9-billion Northern Gateway oil
pipeline, finding Ottawa had failed to properly consult First Nations,
it all but signalled the end for the project. Gordon Hoekstra reports.
(Vancouver Sun)

Canada To Measure Marijuana Use By Testing Sewage
As a bill that would legalize recreational marijuana works its way
through the Canadian Parliament, the government is gearing up to track
cannabis consumption more closely than it has before. Statistics Canada
has begun to do city-scale drug screening by monitoring what Canadians
flush down the toilet. Six cities have agreed to contribute samples from
the place where all drains congregate — their wastewater treatment
plants. Toronto,Montreal, Edmonton, Alberta; Vancouver and Surrey in
British Columbia; and Halifax, Nova Scotia, will participate. Ideally,
Statistics Canada would like to estimate how much cannabis Canadians
consume, in total, through the sewage measurements. It might be possible
then to subtract legal sales and arrive at the amount of cannabis sold
illegally... But the route from a wastewater treatment plant to that
kind of calculation gets really murky really fast. For starters, Peluso
says, Statistics Canada has to consider some basic questions that get
quite complex on a national scale: “The suburban users, are they peeing
in the city but consuming in the suburbs?” Researchers say it’s
relatively straightforward to detect marijuana traces, such as
tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
Tests pick it up even in dilute wastewater. But there’s something more
difficult: using the THC concentration in sewage to extrapolate back to
the amount of pot consumed. Menaka Wilhelm reports. (NPR)

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOOTODAY
Light wind becoming SE to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind
waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 13 seconds building to 7 ft
at 13 seconds in the afternoon. Rain likely in the afternoon.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by
Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@)
salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can
unsubscribe at any time.

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii)
Though it looks exotic, Pacific madrone—a beautiful broadleaf
evergreen tree with a captivating and distinctive presence that
transforms with the seasons—is endemic to the Pacific coast. Its
exquisite characteristics of fragrant flower clusters, brilliant
berries, glossy leaves, twisting branches, rounded crown, and rich
cinnamon-red bark that peels from a satin-smooth trunk, please all
of our senses. And for the wild ones attracted to this unique gem,
its ecological gifts never disappoint. Madrona (after madroño,
the Spanish name for a Mediterranean “strawberry tree”) is the
name admirers in Washington give this member of the Ericaceae
(heath) family, while those in California and Oregon call it
madrone or Pacific madrone. British Columbians simply use the
Latin genus name, Arbutus. (The epitaph, menziesii,
is named after the naturalist Archibald Menzies, a naturalist for
the Vancouver Expedition that explored the Puget Sound region in
1792.) (Real Gardens Grow Natives)

Southern-resident killer whales' inbreeding may devastate the population
Just two male whales fathered more than half the calves born since 1990
in the population of southern-resident killer whales, a sign of
inbreeding, scientists have learned. “It was a shocker to find out two
guys are doing all of the work,” said Ken Balcomb, director of the
Center for Whale Research and an author on a paper published this week
in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Animal Conservation. The
findings are based on a new genetic analysis of the whales that frequent
Washington’s Salish Sea and Puget Sound. Already a small population of
76 animals, the southern residents are acting more like a population of
only 20 or 30, with few animals breeding, said the lead author, Michael
Ford, a conservation biologist at NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries
Science Center. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Onlookers
watch sewer pipe being pulled through tunnel across harbour
People lined the security fences spread through James Bay on
Tuesday as the process of moving a 940-metre sewer pipe into a
subsea tunnel began. The tunnel for the pipe runs between Ogden
Point and the sewage-treatment plant being built across Victoria
Harbour at McLoughlin Point. Both are part of the region’s
$765-million sewage-treatment project. Sections of the pipe, which
was placed on rollers, were welded together over the past six
weeks, with Niagara Street serving as the main staging area. Jeff
Bell reports. (Times Colonist)

Coast
Seafoods to appeal pollution suit
The Coast Seafoods Company is asking the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of
Appeals to rehear a case in which the court sided with the Olympic
Forest Coalition and remanded the case back to the U.S. District
Court. The coalition is suing Coast Seafoods over its discharge of
effluent from its oyster-growing facility into Quilcene Bay. On
March 9, the 9th Circuit Court agreed with the U.S. District Court
for Western Washington, Tacoma, which had concluded the seafood
company needs to obtain a National Pollution Discharge Elimination
System permit. That is what the Olympic Forest Coalition wants the
company to do.... n its request, the company is arguing the court
had ruled in another case that if an aquatic animal production
facility does not meet the criteria to be classified as a
concentrated aquatic animal production facility, it does not need
a discharge permit. That is the crux of Coast Seafoods’ position –
it does not need a NPDES permit. Allison Arthur reports. (Pt
Townsend Leader)

Senate
blocks bill to overhaul ballast discharge rules
Senators voted against advancing Coast Guard legislation this
afternoon with a controversial provision to change the way ballast
water discharges are regulated. The language was in S. 140, a
package of measures related to Indian Country and authorizing the
Coast Guard. The cloture vote, shortly after noon, was 56-42. The
ballast provisions came from the "Commercial Vessel Incidental
Discharge Act," also known as "VIDA," S. 168, from Sen. Roger
Wicker (R-Miss.). It would put the Coast Guard in charge of
setting standards for ballast water discharge instead of EPA.
Ballast water is common in the hulls of cargo ships and provides
stability for vessels in rough conditions but can also carry
invasive species like zebra mussels. Ariel Wittenberg and Manuel
Quinones report. (E&E News)

Public
comments lead Navy to tweak SEAL training proposal
The Navy is sifting through hundreds of emails and letters of
public input on a proposal to expand special operations training
in the Northwest a few weeks after an extended comments period
concluded on March 23. The Navy's vision for increased training
operations in the region, outlined in a draft environmental
assessment released in January, calls for more training cycles per
year with an increased number of trainees who would practice a
broader range of skills at more locations across western
Washington. The proposal's preferred alternative seeks to bring
more training activities outside of the fence lines of Naval Base
Kitsap installations to better prepare trainees with more real
world-like scenarios, said Navy Region Northwest spokeswoman
Sheila Murray. Julieanne Stanford reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Kinder
Morgan begins negotiations with Ottawa to save pipeline project
Kinder Morgan's chief executive told investors on Wednesday
afternoon that negotiations with the federal government are
underway to strike a deal and salvage the Trans Mountain expansion
project, which continues to face opposition from the B.C.
government. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Sunday that
his government could offer financial assistance to the Texas-based
company and use legislation that would give Ottawa total control
over the $7.4-billion project, which would stretch from Edmonton
to the Vancouver area.... Investors asked several questions about
what kind of deal the company was pursuing, but executives were
tight-lipped.... Currently, the company describes the proposed
pipeline as "facing unquantifiable risk" because the B.C.
government is "asserting broad jurisdiction and reiterating its
intention to use that jurisdiction to stop the project." Kyle Bakx
reports. (CBC)

Carr
downplays tanker traffic risk, says federal legislation not
developed yet
Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr says the Trans Mountain
pipeline will only increase tanker traffic off the coast of
British Columbia by one ship a day, downplaying the risks raised
by environmental critics of the project. The federal Liberal
government hasn’t yet “landed” on its promised legislative option
to push the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion forward, says
Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr. Justin Trudeau’s government
is “actively pursuing” legislation that will reassert Canada’s
constitutional authority to build and expand pipelines, the prime
minister promised Sunday after an emergency meeting with the
feuding premiers of B.C. and Alberta. (Canadian Press)

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service
by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@)
salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you
can unsubscribe at any time.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Suburbs,
Juncos, and Evolution
Birds have been living near humans for a long time. But only
during the past 5,000 years have birds and humans shared space in
cities and towns. “What we’ve done is create a new place where
birds are under intense natural selection — from our activities,”
says John Marzluff, Professor of Wildlife Science at the
University of Washington in Seattle. Marzluff says evolutionary
changes can happen in just a few decades of living with humans. In
his book, Welcome to Subirdia, he cites as evidence a study of
Dark-eyed Juncos conducted by Pamela Yeh.
(BirdNote)

Supreme
Court showdown: Washington's attorney general vs. tribes over
salmon habitat
A 20-year battle over salmon-blocking road culverts lands in the
U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday, in a historic showdown pitting the
Washington state attorney general against the U.S. government and
Washington tribes defending their treaty right to fish. Washington
Attorney General Bob Ferguson — widely regarded as a liberal
champion for his crusading lawsuits for immigration rights and
other causes — will oppose the tribes in oral argument before the
court. At issue is whether the state must replace road culverts
that block salmon passage. Tribes insist, and courts have
affirmed, that the tribes’ treaty right to fish also means the
state must not destroy the habitat that healthy fish runs need.
Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Support for Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion grows in B.C.: new poll
The proposed expansion of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline has
the support of more than half of British Columbians, but with plenty of
caveats, including the minimal impact of threats from Alberta, according
to a new poll. In an online survey conducted Monday and Tuesday of
2,125 Canadian adults — half from British Columbia — the Angus Reid
Institute has found that support in B.C. for the project is up to 54 per
cent, a considerable jump from the 48 per cent in a similar survey
conducted in February. This support runs through all part of the
province, with 50 per cent of Metro Vancouver in favour, 54 per cent on
Vancouver Island and 60 per cent of respondents in the rest of B.C.
Patrick Johnston reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Guilty
Plea In Sea Cucumber Scam
The owner of a seafood processing company in Pierce County,
Washington, has pleaded guilty in a case involving the illegal
sale of sea cucumbers, leathery creatures that are considered a
delicacy to eat in some cultures. According to the U.S. Attorney’s
office, Hoon Namkoong ran Orient Seafood Production. He was
charged with underreporting by a 250,000 pounds the amount of sea
cucumbers he bought from tribal and non-tribal fishermen in Puget
Sound. Austin Jenkins reports. (KNKX)

Stink
Bugs Taking Over Puget Sound Area
Researchers for Washington State University are being deluged with
reports of brown marmorated stink bugs, especially from western
Washington. Entomologist Michael Bush says he has received 300
reports in three weeks about the smelly creatures. He says the
majority of stink bug sightings are from King, Pierce and Thurston
counties, with sporadic reports coming eastern Washington. Bush
says the bugs move indoors during the winter months, and now are
trying to get back outside. Marmorated stink bugs gorge on
vegetables, fruit trees, nuts and ornamental plants. Grant McHill
reports. (AP)

Plastic-eating
enzyme could help fight pollution, scientists say
Scientists in Britain and the United States say they have
engineered a plastic-eating enzyme that could in future help in
the fight against pollution. The enzyme is able to digest
polyethylene terephthalate, or PET — a form of plastic patented in
the 1940s and now used in millions of tons of plastic bottles. PET
plastics can persist for hundreds of years in the environment and
currently pollute large areas of land and sea worldwide.
Researchers from Britain's University of Portsmouth and the U.S.
Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory made
the discovery while examining the structure of a natural enzyme
thought to have evolved in a waste recycling centre in Japan.
(Thompson Reuters)

A
vehicle tunnel from Seattle to Bainbridge? Retired civil
engineer has a proposal
Bob Ortblad has a pet idea he’d like to see buried deep, hundreds
of feet below the surface of Puget Sound. To dive into it:
Ortblad, a retired civil engineer and Capitol Hill resident, sees
a future in which instead of crossing on a ferry atop Puget Sound,
commuters would cross underneath it, driving through a tunnel that
would stretch from Seattle’s Smith Cove over to Highway 305 on
Bainbridge Island. To stretch the idea even further, a parkway
could cross the island and connect to a long-discussed bridge
across to the Bremerton area. Nathan Pilling reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Gray
whale tangled in fishing gear for days finally freed in Puget
Sound
A gray whale entangled in fishing gear swam in the Puget Sound for
days until it was finally freed in an unusual chain of events,
according to NOAA Fisheries. A Washington State Ferries captain
north of Seattle first spotted the gray whale with fishing gear
trailing behind it on Friday. (KIRO)

WED
SE wind to 10 kt becoming E 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.
Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of
showers in the morning then a slight chance of showers in the
afternoon.WED NIGHT
NW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming W to 10 kt after
midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 13 seconds.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service
by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@)
salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you
can unsubscribe at any time.

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Pat McMahon writes: "Several years ago while fishing in the
Western Strait of Juan de Fuca I caught a three foot long
Lingcod. After I returned to shore I noticed a large parasitic
isopod on the back of the Lingcod. It was 1.5" long so I am
guessing it was a female. The compound eyes and segmented
antennae were especially interesting. The isopod was not visible
when I caught the fish so it may have been attached under the
operculum at the gills and crawled out reattaching on the back
when I took the fish out of the water. Even parasites can be
beautiful."

Kinder Morgan delivers pipe after announced suspension of non-essential spending
Even as Kinder Morgan announced it had suspended all non-essential
spending on the $7.4-billion Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion, pipe
for the project was delivered to a staging area last week in New
Westminster. Kinder Morgan’s suspension announcement a week ago Sunday
was part of an ultimatum in which the Houston, Texas-based company said
it needed certainty by May 31 that the project can be built or it will
walk away. The environmental group Wilderness Committee snapped photos
of the pipe delivery last Thursday, just four days after the ultimatum.
Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Navy
Growler Noise Spurring Community Action Beyond Whidbey Island
Community groups are building coalitions region-wide, aiming to
stop expansion plans by the U.S. Navy. Operating since 1942, the
naval air station on Whidbey Island is not new. But the recent
replacement of its electronic warfare aircraft has upset many
residents in the area. They say the new Growler jets are too
loud. And plans to add more of them to the fleet at NAS Whidbey
have prompted legal action. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Ryan
Zinke Is Opening Up Public Lands. Just Not at Home.
When Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was a state senator from this
idyllic mountain town, he drove a Prius, sported a beard and
pushed President Barack Obama to make clean energy a priority.
Today, the beard and Prius are gone, and Mr. Zinke has emerged
as a leading figure, along with Scott Pruitt of the
Environmental Protection Agency, in the environmental rollbacks
that have endeared President Trump to the fossil fuel industry
and outraged conservationists. In the last year, Mr. Zinke has
torn up Obama-era rules related to oil, gas and mineral
extraction and overseen the largest reduction of federal land
protection in the nation’s history, including an effort to slash
the size of Bears Ears National Monument. Julie Turkewitz
reports. (NY Times) See also: Ryan Zinke’s Great American Fire Sale Carolyn Kormann reports. (New Yorker)

Politics
and chicken farming: Meet the new GOP leader in Washington's
state House
Between greeting a mob of murmuring chickens and sharing
thoughts on ancient Greek history, state Rep. J.T. Wilcox
compares the difficulties of legislating to running a family
farm. For Wilcox, part-owner of a fourth-generation 1,500-acre
farm, family business and legislative politics share some of the
same challenges…. First elected to the House in 2010, Wilcox has
helped shape the state GOP’s message in an era when Republicans
and Democrats have fought fiercely over control of the closely
divided Legislature. As minority leader he replaces Rep. Dan
Kristiansen, R-Snohomish, who announced his retirement in March.
Kristiansen had a reputation as a mediator between the parties
when tensions ran high in Olympia. Joseph O'Sullivan reports.
(Seattle Times)

TODAY
W wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 5 to 15 kt in the
afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 2 ft or less in the
afternoon. W swell 10 ft at 10 seconds subsiding to 7 ft at 9
seconds in the afternoon. A chance of showers in the morning then
showers likely in the afternoon.

TONIGHT
SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming S to 10 kt after midnight.
Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 9 seconds. Showers
likely.
-- "Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service
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About Me

Salish Sea Communications provides communications and public relations services that raise visibility and engage audiences. Drawing on over 30 years experience in private, public and not-for-profit work, Mike Sato brings to you his skills and insights in developing and carrying out your print, electronic and social media projects and products. "I've been in the communications business since 1977 starting with community weekly newspapers then working for Seattle City Light, the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority, Hawaiian Electric Company and, for 20 years, People For Puget Sound." Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told. WA State UBI #601395482